ShowKeyPlus

Matthew Wai said:

Do you mean only a generic marker and key can be found on a factory PC pre-installed with Windows 7?

On Windows 7 the OEM PC has a generic SLP marker/certificate/key as well as a unique COA key printed on the sticker. The point is the generic key on Windows 7 is OEM specific.

Matthew Wai said:

On a Windows 7 OEM PC, ShowKeyPlus can find an OEM generic key, right?

Yes, if you "Check product key" with a Windows 7 generic key, it's edition will have the OEM: SLP suffix.

Superfly said:

Yes, if you "Check product key" with a Windows 7 generic key, it's edition will have the OEM: SLP suffix.

With all due respect as an esteemed VP (:-D), I am not sure this is what M Wai was asking. I interpreted his post as meaning will Showkeyplus tell you the oem 7 generic key?

Matthew Wai said:

That was the intended question....

I have an OEM Windows 7 PC to hand, so I can answer that...



and as Superfly said it would, that key checks out as..

Original Edition: Windows 7 Home Premium OEM:SLP
EULA Type: OEM

I have another question: can a Windows 7 OEM generic key be used to activate Windows 10?

Generic keys don't activate anything. AIUI, on an original OEM W7 install (or on a factory reset from the OEM-provided image) the generic key just confirms this is an OEM edition, but it's the SLP marker, the 'OEM Key: Windows 7 OEM marker present in firmware' that actually activates it.

Upgrading that OEM W7 to W10 is another matter, it's the fact that W7 is activated that will activate W10, not the generic W7 key.

BTW, the key on the CoA sticker on that machine is completely different, that one checks out as 'OEM:COA'.

Just curious if anyone has tried an upgrade to W10 lately (if it's still working). It was still working about a month ago.

My last successful activation was last month, a clean install on a 'never upgraded' machine with a W8.1 key embedded in the firmware. I've seen more recent reports of success though. Consensus opinion seems to be MS have no pressing desire to turn it off.

Bree said:

My last successful activation was last month, a clean install on a 'never upgraded' machine with a W8.1 key embedded in the firmware. I've seen more recent reports of success though. Consensus opinion seems to be MS have no pressing desire to turn it off.

My last one was about a month ago with a W7 upgrade. Have another one I'd like to try soon. I'm thinking you may be right - MS are not turning it off.